Lifesaving garment



Oct. l0, 1944. J. c. HARRIS 2,359,844

LIFE SAVING GARMENT Filed April 20, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 b1 ven tor oct. lo, 1944. J HARRIS 2,359,844

LIFE SVING GARMENT Filed April 20, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n zien tor im @947e Halfrrzls Oct. 10, 1944. L C, HARRls 2,359,844

LIFE SAVING GARMENT Filed April zo. 1942 s Smets-sheet s Inventor Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED STATES LIFESAVING GARNIENT John Clyde Harris, Virginia Beach, Va., assigner of one-half to Mamie Garrett, Norfolk, Va..

Application April 20, 1942, Serial No. 439,732 l 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in life saving garments and more particularly to a garment which can be conveniently worn during emergency by airmen, seamen and others.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a garment in the form of a jacket which will automatically inflate itself should a person wearing the same fall unconsciously into the water, this with the view of holding the person afloat for an appreciable period of time.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a, life saving garment in the form of a. jacket of the slip-over or vest type having selfinating means for the purpose of inating the garment upon Contact with water, especially to save unconscious persons falling into the sea or other bodies of water, the said garment having in addition to automatic means for inflating the garment, manual means which will serve to supplement the automatic means when the latter becomes spent.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a front elevational view ofo the vest type of garment as it will be worn.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of one of the pockets showing the drain openings.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing the jacket when inflated, this section being taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the slipover type of garment as worn.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the slipover form of garment shown in Figure 4..

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of the manually operated inflating unit.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through the automatic inating unit.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the vest type of garment is clearly shown in Figure 1 and is generally referred to by numeral 5. This vest type garment is constructed of inner and outer sheets 6, l of rubber or some like material vulcanized together at their edges, as at 8. 50 Some form of binding means can be provided at these vulcanized edges to reinforce the same, if deemed advisable.

The front of the garment 5 can be held together by front straps 9 and buckles Ill, and 55 crotch-leg straps II and buckles I2 may be provided for holding the garment down on the body of the wearer, to the end Athat it will not rise when in the water.

Figures 4 and 5 show a slip-over type of garment which is generally referred to by numeral I3. This garment is constructed of inner and outer sheets of rubber as in the case of the garment 5 and has a neck opening I4 and arm openings I5, but no front opening as this garment is slipped over the head and the shoulders. This slip-over type of garment has crotch straps I6 and buckles I'I to prevent rising of the garment in the water.

A common factor of these two garments is the provision of right and left pockets I8, I9 on the front of the garment.

In preferably the left pocket is an automatic inflating unit generally referred to by numeral 20, While in the right hand pocket is a manually operated inflating unit generally referred to by numeral 2 I.

The automatic inflating unit comprises a very y thin and preferably square compressed gas tank 22. This tank contains a volume of gas of the desired variety under a substantially high compression, a small capacity being sufficient for inflation of a relatively large size garment.

The top of this shell 22 is formed with an opening having a porous or mesh closure 23 and this is located over a small box 24 in the shell containing a volume of carbide 25.

Depending from the bottom of this box 24 is a tube 26 which extends through the bottom of the shell 22 and also through the bottom of the pocket I9 and into the space between the inner and outer sheets 6, 1 of the garment.

A short inlet structure 2l is provided at the upper end of the tube 26 to communicate the tube with the interior of the shell 22, but the passing of gas into the main portion of the tube 26 is prevented by a lead closure 28, this closure may be of some other material, just so it is subject to heat and will melt under a low temperature.

The function of this automatic iniiating device is that when the unit becomes immersed in Water, water will contact `the carbide 25 producing a heat which will be transmitted by conductivity to the meltable closure 28 and when this melts, gas can escape from the interior of the shell 22 through the tube 26, to the interior of the garment for the purpose of iniiating the garment and making the same buoyant.

The manually controlled unit 2l which is preferably in the right hand pocket so that an unconscious person upon coming to consciousness will upon first thought react With his right hand to actuate the unit 2|, especially if the buoyant effect of the automatic has become dissipated.

The unit 2| comprises a' substantially square and thin shell 29 having a discharge tube 30 extending from the bottom thereof and being in communication With the interior of the shell. This tube 30 protrudesinto the space'between the sheets 6, 1 of the garment, 'whether it be the garment 5 or the garment I3.

An elongated pin 3| is slidably disposed through a packing means 32 in the top of the shell 29oand preferably has a handle or knob 34 at'its upper end. This pin 3| slides throughitheshellcand has its lower end pointed as-:at v 35;in=or.der:.to reach into the tube 30 and engageareadilyydestructible closure 36, which normallycloses the inside of the tube 30 to prevent the leakagezof gas from the shell 29.

Obviously, when thegpin 3| is forced down- War'dlyjthe closure`36 Will be ruptured andgas .fn-.garment to inflate the same, a closure plug in said tubeofmaterial fusible under the action of heat ata'low temperature, and means to subject the :plug to theractionltof heat conned within said l container-andrendered effective by submerging can readilyescape fromthe'shll 29 through'the Y tube 30 and into the garment" forthepurpose of inlating thegarment.

'As an example, the autornaticunitr |2 may be sulcientA to'keep aV person aoat for 12 hours and upon dissipation of this iniiation, the manual unit 2| .can be brought intoplay and this willserve to supplement the first unit by another 12 hours or more.

'While the foregoing specication sets. forthfthe the. container in Water.

Y 2.In an'inatable life saving garment, a gas Acontainer attached thereto, a tube extending out of said container and embodied in said garment for discharging gas from the container into'the garment to inflate the same, a 'closure plugin said tube of material fusible under the action of heat at a` low temperatu-re, and means to subject-,the plug to the action of heat conne'dv Within said container and rendered eiective by submerging thecontainer in Water, said means comprising'a pocket of carbide open at one side to admit water thereto and opening on another Vside onto said plug.

JOHN CLYDEHARRIS. 

